‘We are only thinking about the potential’ – Irfan Pathan urges BCCI to stop obsessing over Hardik Pandya

Irfan and Hardik ( Photo source X / Twitter )

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has come forward and asked the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to stop their obsession with star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, and do what is best for the Indian team. The discussion came after several pundits had discussed what the Indian team’s lineup should be for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.

Pathan reflected on how Pandya has underperformed for India in recent times and opined that the board should consider what impact Hardik has had in recent times and then make a decision.

“What I feel about Hardik Pandya is that Indian cricket needs to make it clear that they should not give him that much priority as they have given him so far, because we still haven’t won the World Cup. And if you think you are a primary all-rounder, you need to make that kind of an impact at the international level,” Pathan said on Star Sports Press Room Show.

“As far as the all-rounder is concerned, he hasn’t made that impact at the international level, we are only thinking about the potential. We are getting confused between the IPL performances and the international performances. That’s a big difference,” he added.

Also Read: Harbhajan Singh names his squad for T20 World Cup 2024, excludes Hardik Pandya

He needs to play throughout the full year: Pathan

Furthermore, Irfan Pathan talked about how Hardik Pandya should play a full year, and that he cannot pick and choose between formats. He opined that if Indian cricket continues giving preferences to individuals, they will keep losing the major ICC tournaments. The former all-rounder cited the example of Australia, and how they prefer the team game, which in-turn helps them win the major tournaments.

Also Read: Indian cricket should not give Hardik Pandya the priority they have given him so far: Irfan Pathan

“First of all, he needs to play throughout the full year. He cannot pick and choose. Indian cricket needs to stop doing that. Stop giving preferences to individuals, if you do that, you will not be winning major tournaments. What Australia has been doing for many years is that they are actually preferring the team game. Making everyone a superstar. Not one superstar, everybody is a superstar in the squad. If you don’t do that, you will not win big tournaments,” Pathan concluded.